How Did Cleopatra Die?
Taught by Annie R
Annie Rudnick is a 6th grade history teacher in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She is described by her students as having killer dance moves, never lying, and calling on everyone “like all the time”. She holds education degrees from New York University and Teachers College at Columbia. Before becoming a full-time teacher she worked as an after school tutor at 826NYC and 826Los Angeles, and as an educator at the New York Historical Society. In her spare time she enjoys tacos.
Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of Egypt. Breaking with the traditions of the Greek Ptolemaic Dynasty Cleopatra learned to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the embodiment of the Egyptian goddess Isis.
While often personified for her exquisite beauty, Cleopatra was a shrewd politician who used romantic conquests for political gain. In 30 BCE her political ambitions caught up with her, and after 21 years on the throne, Cleopatra was dead. While historians have little doubt Cleopatra took her own life, much mystery surrounds her methods. In this class you will be introduced to a more detailed biography of the Egyptian Queen and we'll be analyzing a variety of sources to reveal the most reliable theories on how Cleopatra died.
